On Tuesday, immigration officials in Sri Lanka barred the president’s brother, former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa, from leaving the country, as anger grew over the island’s worst economic crisis in decades.
It was unclear where Rajapaksa, who also has US citizenship, was attempting to travel. He resigned as finance minister in early April, as street protests against fuel, food, and other necessities erupted, and he left parliament in June.
After thousands of protesters stormed his and the prime minister’s official residences on Saturday, his elder brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, will resign as president on Wednesday to make way for a unity government.
Since Friday, the president has not been seen in public, and his whereabouts are unknown. On July 20, Parliament will choose his replacement.
The main opposition party’s leader, Sajith Premadasa, the son of an assassinated president, has been nominated for the position. Later in the day, the ruling party will choose a candidate.
The Sri Lanka Immigration and Emigration Officers Association said its members refused to serve Basil Rajapaksa in the airport’s VIP departure lounge.
‘Given the unrest in Sri Lanka, immigration officials are under tremendous pressure not to allow top-level people to leave the country,’ said the association’s chairman, K.A.S. Kanugala, to Reuters.
‘We are concerned about our safety. As a result, the immigration officers working at the VIP lounge have decided to withdraw their services until this issue is resolved.’
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